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New King Charles III coins revealed!

New coins featuring King CharlesImage source, PA Media
Image caption,
King Charles' face will soon be all over our new coins and banknotes!

The new coins with King Charles' face on have been revealed by the Royal Mint!

The Royal Mint make all our coins - and they update them when there's a new monarch, or every few years to keep them up to date.

The new coins will also have a special design on to remember Queen Elizabeth II.

King Charles' new royal cypher has also been revealed - this is the royal logo that you might have seen before on post-boxes!

The new coins

Coin alongside a larger imageImage source, PA Media
Image caption,
King Charles personally approved the design for the new coins!

The new coins and banknotes, featuring Charles' face, will be added to the coins we have circulating in the UK.

Circulating means they are being used around the UK.

We've not seen what the banknotes look like yet, but the Royal Mint - who make all our coins - have revealed pictures of the new coins with Charles on.

Charles replaces his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, to become the first king on British coins since 1952.

One pound coinsImage source, PA Media
Image caption,
The Queen's profile on UK and Commonwealth coins is something many people have been used to all their lives

The Bank of England has said it will reveal images of updated banknotes featuring a portrait of the King by the end of this year.

You don't need throw away any of your coins - the ones with Queen Elizabeth's face can still be used and will be in circulation for a long time!

These new coins have also been designed as a special memorial for Queen Elizabeth II.

For special occasions, or to celebrate someone's life, the Royal Mint often create special coins like this one.

Reverse of King Charles coinsImage source, PA Media
Image caption,
This design is on the other side of the new King Charles coins

The Royal Mint said they would give plenty of time before coins go out of date.

There are approximately 27bn coins currently in the UK bearing the image of the Queen.

The Royal Cypher

King Charles' new royal cypher symbolImage source, Buckingham Palace

You might be seeing this symbol popping up on post boxes over the next few months and years..

A cypher means a secret way of writing or a code.

The Royal Cypher is a special logo for the monarch. It usually has their initials, along with a crown.

King Charles III new royal cypher (left) and the late Queen Elizabeth II's royal cypher (right)Image source, Buckingham Palace and Reuters
Image caption,
King Charles III new royal cypher (left) and the late Queen Elizabeth II's royal cypher (right)

In Commonwealth realms, the title is shortened as 'R' for 'Rex' or 'Regina'. These are Latin for King and Queen.

So in this new picture, it combines King Charles' initial 'C', and R for Rex, plus the III because he is known as King Charles III.

You might have seen Queen Elizabeth II's cypher on postboxes - but don't expect these to change soon!

A red post box with a man standing next to it, with the queen's cypher onImage source, Richard Baker
Image caption,
You might have seen these logos on post-boxes before

The new symbol or monogram was personally chosen by the King from a range of designs produced by the College of Arms.

It visually tells everyone that we have a new reigning King, replacing the E II R of Queen Elizabeth II.

But it won't necessarily happen that quickly.

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said of replacing the late Queen's cypher with the Charles' monogram: "Where changes can be made easily, such as digital branding, they can be made immediately.

"Physical items such as signage or stationery will be replaced gradually over time as the need arises."

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